Yearn
by Upside-Up
Summary: A little Greg-Sara ficlet (which has turned into a full-blown fic). Chapter lucky thirteen uploaded, due to the amazing outpouring of reviews. R&R if you want more!
1. Whisper

_I love Greg, and he really doesn't get enough fluff. I know we all want to see his darker side, but he's so much fun to play with. Enjoy! R&R!

* * *

_

**Yearn**  
  
Sara sat in the break room puzzling over a crossword. The shift had just ended and she was determined to figure out a four-letter word for "yearn" before she went home. The shift had gone reasonably well; Grissom had let her go solo on a tough homicide and after wearing herself to the bone, she had finally determined the killer. It was one of those days when she was feeling proud of herself, and the office seemed more appealing than her empty apartment.  
  
Still contemplating the four-letter word, Sara didn't notice Greg leaning on the door jamb.  
  
"You know," he said, startling her out of her reverie, "You're the only person I know that can look beautiful even when she looks like shit." He raised his eyebrows at her and made his way toward the coffee maker.  
  
Sara rolled her eyes. "I'll take that as a compliment," she said with a small smile, her eyes following his brightly coloured back as he maneuvered around the table.  
  
"That's how it was meant," Greg replied, starting up the coffee machine. "Want some coffee? My special blend..."  
  
"And what have I done to have this honour bestowed upon me?" Sara asked, letting her eyes rest on Greg's lips as they curved upward into his signature grin.  
  
"You," he began, "are the only CSI that has not threatened me with bodily harm this shift. Therefore, you get a treat."  
  
Sara smiled and focused on her crossword puzzle. If she could only get this last word! Lost in thought, she didn't notice Greg come up behind her. He leaned over her shoulder to put her cup on the table and lingered there a second, trying to see what had her so puzzled. A mischievous smile played across his features and he leaned in closer, his mouth mere millimeters from her ear. She could feel his breath on her throat, but she didn't move away.  
  
"Lust," he said, the words barely audible, more felt than heard.  
  
An involuntary jolt of electricity ran down Sara's spine at the word. "What?" she said, not quite understanding why Greg was whispering in her ear, or why it had such an effect on her.

Greg didn't move from where he was. "Four-letter word for yearn." He whispered, letting his lips ever so slightly brush against her earlobe. Sara turned her head to face him, frozen to the spot, her face so close to his.  
  
Greg winked at her and, satisfied with the blush that had rapidly rushed to Sara's cheeks, left the room leaving a stunned and confused Sara staring after him, her pencil poised and motionless in her hand.

**End**

* * *

_That's it! I might continue if you, the people, feel that I should. Review please!   
_


	2. Stumble

_Ok, Chapter the second. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed! You motivate me to keep cranking out chapters! My apologies to anyone who liked it as a one-shot... I couldn't resist._

* * *

At the beginning of the following shift, Sara was determined to put yesterday's incident behind her. Surely Greg had meant nothing by it, he was just teasing her. Right?  
  
Continuing to dwell over this thought, Sara meandered by the DNA lab, not really paying attention to anything. Lost in thought, Sara accidentally wandered right into something solid and surprisingly muscular. Stunned, she stumbled back, almost losing her footing. A hand reached out and grabbed her about the waist, steadying her before she fell.  
  
Sara looked up into a pair of deep brown eyes and felt that pesky blush creep back to her cheeks.  
  
There was a long pause. "You know," Greg started, not removing his arm from her hips or his eyes from her own, "if you wanted to be close to me, you could have just asked." He let his hand linger for a moment, finding a small area of skin between the hem of her shirt and the waist of her pants with his middle finger. He smirked down at her, removed his arm from where it rested, and walked back into the lab. Stunned, Sara simply stood where she was, willing her cheeks to return to their natural colour.  
  
"Hey," Greg beckoned her into the lab, "About that skin tag from the hair you gave me. Not a match to our vic, but had 7 alleles in common."  
  
Sara, still focused on why oh why her face kept turning the colour of a tomato lately, just barely heard what he said. "What... oh, I mean... who..." she trailed off, her mind wandering.  
  
Greg looked at her, as if waiting for her ramblings to somehow make sense. "So," he cautiously began, "I'm thinking brother, father maybe... Sara? Hey, Sara, come back to me. "  
  
Startled to hear her name, and to hear the words "come back to me" slip from his lips, Sara looked at Greg. Suddenly, she realized why she'd been blushing ferociously. Without her noticing, Greg had somehow gone from the goofy, spastic lab-tech to, well, something different. He no longer seemed to live to annoy her, or if he did, she no longer found it annoying. His little jabs and flirtations were becoming almost charming; those accidental (or otherwise) touches and smiles were starting to be frustrating in a whole new way.  
  
With a sharp intake of breath, Sara stuttered out something along the lines of, "Yeah, ok, related, got it, I have to go," and slipped out of the lab, leaving a very confused Greg in her wake.

* * *

_Ok, so that's that. I've got a vague idea of where to go from here, so review and tell me if you think I should keep on trucking or if I should stop beating a dead horse. Yes, I'm aware I'm speaking in metaphors. Review Please!_


	3. Plague

_Holy Crap! The number of reviews I've been getting is staggering! Thank you thank you thank you! So, here's chapter three, a little bit longer. Tell me what you think. Note to Loki(insert number here, I can't remember) Your review was great, I promise I will discard (almost) all disgusting neediness. (I'm still gonna ask for reviews, just not beg)_

* * *

Sara spent the next few days avoiding the DNA lab like the plague. She told herself that she was just too busy, and it wasn't because a certain lab tech had suddenly made her start tripping over herself and blushing like a little girl.  
  
Suddenly, her pager started to vibrate. She looked at the small screen with the words "Doc Oc" on it. She smiled despite herself, but since she didn't have any evidence Greg was handling at the moment, she chose to ignore it.  
  
Soon enough her pager vibrated again. This time it read "Dr. Who." The next read "Dr. Love." Another unintentional smile crept to her lips, but she reminded herself that she was avoiding him, and he was trying to draw her in. She sat down in the break room and sipped her sub-standard coffee, trying not to think about the one person she couldn't keep off her mind.  
  
The mind, however, tends to wander. And wander it did. Despite her best efforts, Sara couldn't stop thinking about the sensation her last two encounters with Greg had caused. She kept replaying the memory of his breath and hands on her skin, analyzing every word and movement, trying to decipher exactly why he had such a strong effect on her. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Catherine take a seat across the table from her.  
  
"Sara. Hey, Sara!" Catherine said, waving a hand in front of her face, "Sara!"  
  
Wanting to kick herself for being so preoccupied lately, Sara snapped her eyes up to meet her coworker's.  
  
"What's going on with you, Sidle? I've never seen you this distracted before."  
  
"Nothing, just... thinking about some stuff. Nothing huge, just, well, distracting." Before she knew what was happening, Catherine had disappeared behind a pair of hands.  
  
"Guess who?" a familiar voice said from behind her; a voice that sent a thrill down her spine. "Wait, don't guess, let me give you three clues."  
  
Even though he couldn't see it, Sara rolled her eyes. "Greg," She started, "I don't have time for this."  
  
"Wait, wait... let me give you the clues."  
  
"I already know it's you, Greg"  
  
"Shhh, ok, here we go. One: The man who gives you answers to all of your questions."  
  
"Uhhh, Grissom." Sara played along.  
  
"I am shocked and appalled. No. Ok, two: The man who's music brings joy to the entire office."  
  
"Um, Nick?"  
  
"How could that possibly be Nick?" Greg asked, not moving his hands. "Never mind... three: the man you've been avoiding like he has SARS"  
  
Sara froze, suddenly very aware that Greg was touching her again, and that Catherine was probably sitting across the table, witnessing Sara's cheeks redden.  
  
"Greg!" Sara ripped his hands from her face, thankful that Catherine had in fact left the room. "I do not have time for this! Why are you needlessly paging me all the time? Why come in while I'm on my break and annoy me? Why keep..." She trailed off; thankful she'd caught herself before she said something she'd regret later.  
  
There was a pause as Greg looked at her, obviously shocked and maybe even a little hurt. Sara took a deep breath, but before she could apologize, Greg spoke.  
  
"Why are you still holding my hands?"  
  
Looking down at their linked hands, Sara's blush deepened. She quickly let go and tried to side-step him to get out of the office. He wasn't having any of that, however, and grasped her gently by the shoulders.  
  
"Sara, are you ok?" He asked, trying to force eye contact by bending and leaning in closer to her. "Did I do something to piss you off?"  
  
Sara looked up and her breath caught in her throat. There, mere inches away from her own, was the face of Greg Sanders. She licked her lips and imagined just what it would be like to kiss him. This was not a good position for her to be in, she decided, considering that her hormones had decided to rebel against her mind. Using all the will power in her, she looked away from him and took a step back, away from Greg and his intoxicating eyes.  
  
"No, Greg, you haven't done anything. I'm just grumpy. Its not you."  
  
"Then why won't you look at me?" He asked, still barring her path to the door.  
  
Suddenly, Greg's pager started singing Hawaii Five-O. He looked at it as if it had just slapped his grandmother, took one last look at Sara's averted eyes, and left the break room.  
  
Sara collapsed into a chair and chugged back the dregs of her coffee, willing it to quell the inner conflict her body was having with itself.  
  
It didn't work.

* * *

_Ok! Another chapter done! Review if you want more!_


	4. Stutter

_So I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter... I have ideas though, oh yes, I do have plans. R&R and tell me what you think!_

* * *

"Nicky, you and Warrick have a casino robbery, Catherine, you're with me on a double homicide and Sara, you've got a B&E. Take Greg with you."  
  
Sara's head snapped up and she looked at Grissom. "What? Why?"  
  
If Grissom noticed her dismay, he didn't show it. "He could use the time out in the field, and it's about a 2 hour drive from here, so I figured you could use the company."  
  
Deciding against making a comment on how _now_ he decides to take her feelings into account, Sara simply nodded, grabbed the sheets Grissom was holding out to her and walked out the door. She steeled herself as she made her way to the DNA lab, the sound of White Zombie getting louder and louder with every step.  
  
"Greg... Greg! Hey! Greg!" She called, reaching her destination. Greg was busy peering into one of his many microscopes, the music far too loud for him to possibly hear her. She briefly wondered if he would have heard her if the music hadn't been on, he was so focused on his task. Sara made her way to Greg's CD player and hit the stop button.  
  
Greg spun around, startled out of his deep concentration. He quickly recovered from the initial shock of his music suddenly becoming nonexistent and a smirk made its way to his lips. "Do I know you?" he asked, feigning confusion.  
  
"Ha, ha." She replied, "I've been busy."  
  
Greg simply rolled his eyes and turned away from her, back to his work.  
  
Sara watched him for a moment, taking in his movement; the fluidity with which he maneuvered his way about the lab, his hands expertly working their way through buttons and machines. She let herself briefly wonder what else his hands could do expertly. Shaking her head, Sara said "whatever you're doing can wait. We're going for a ride."  
  
Greg stopped in his tracks, but didn't look at her. "Why?" He turned to face her, a sheepish look crossing his features. "You're not going to take me out in to the desert and leave me there, are you?"  
  
Sara smiled despite herself. "You and I have a case. Hurry up, lets go."  
  
Greg's face lit up at the thought of doing some field work, and he quickly shrugged off his lab coat and followed Sarah to the locker room. Sara leaned against a locker watching him while he grabbed what he needed. She wondered how exactly she was going to manage to control herself for two hours in an enclosed space with him; if he just refrained from touching her, or looking at her or smiling in that adorable way he smiles...  
  
This was going to be one long drive.  
  
Soon they were in the Tahoe and on their way, Greg in the driver's seat and Sara with nothing to distract her but the fast moving landscape. They had already gone over the details of their case, and had spent the last half- hour in comfortable silence, although more comfortable for one of them than for the other. Sara was so tense she could feel her shoulders knotting as she sat there.  
  
She had been doing alright so far: not really looking at him, staring out the window, breathing through her mouth so as not to be drawn in by the smell of his cologne. It was hard not to let her mind wander to different, less innocent situations that the two of them could easily get into, being alone in the desert and all.  
  
"What're you thinking about?" Greg asked, eyes still on the dark road in front of him.  
  
Sara looked at him, weighing whether or not to tell him what she was really thinking about. She decided to avoid the question altogether. "You think you're almost ready to get out in the field on your own, Greg?" she asked, angry that even saying his name made her flush.  
  
"Honestly?" he said, taking an instant to tear his eyes from the road and look at her; his eyes so deep and bright and innocent it made her heart want to explode, "I think after a few more times tagging along I'll be set. I'm not one hundred percent confident yet, but I will be."  
  
"Good, that's, uh, good." Sara stuttered, trying her best to pay attention to what he was saying, but finding it increasingly difficult. At the times when he wasn't looking at her, she found herself studying the lines of his face, the freckles on his arm and the way his hands gripped the steering wheel. When he was looking at her, she was just putting all her energy into keeping her heart in her chest.  
  
The rest of the ride was a vicious cycle of Greg being impossibly charming and sweet, and Sara gripping the sides of the seat so hard she thought she might rip a hole. She wanted to do nothing more than be back at the lab, filling in paper work, far away from Greg and his infuriating sudden sexiness.  
  
Well, maybe not _nothing_ more.

* * *

_Well, there you have it. Longest chapter yet. Please review!_


	5. Dig

_Ok, so here is chapter the fifth. Note to anyone who thinks I should just "get on with it"... you've got a bit of a wait... what can I say? I love me the sexual tension. Hang in there! Thanks for all the reviews! Keep 'em coming!_

* * *

After what felt like days, the pair pulled into the driveway of a huge sprawling ranch, the property of which seemed to go on for miles.  
  
"Ok, I'll start in the house, you talk to the homeowner" Sara said, hopping down from the Tahoe. They walked up to the door and rang the bell and as the door opened, Sara instantly wished she could eat her words. The woman across the threshold, though visibly distraught, was tall, blonde and extremely beautiful. They went through the formalities, and Sara begrudgingly left Greg alone with the woman, whose name turned out to be Claire McCoy; an actress who, to Sara's chagrin, lived alone.  
  
Albeit impressed by Greg's natural ease with comforting the distressed, Sara found herself feeling jealous that he could be so tender with a complete stranger. Maybe all the things she had thought meant something were meaningless? She surveyed the house slowly, making sure to gather as much evidence as possible even though all she wanted to do was get out of this gorgeous house and get Greg away from that gorgeous woman. As she was checking out the living room, Greg sauntered in and squatted beside her, a look of incredulity on his face.  
  
Without looking at him, Sara spoke. "So? Was she helpful?"  
  
"Oh, more than helpful," Greg replied, a laugh in his voice. Sara's heart sank. Here she'd been, wasting time on analyzing every little action and flirtation, and he'd been snatched up by some random actress.  
  
"Meaning?" She asked in a sharper tone than intended.  
  
Greg laughed. "Total nutcase. I wouldn't be surprised if she had all her possessions buried in the yard."  
  
Sara heaved a sigh of relief. Suddenly an idea struck her.  
  
She looked over at Greg and before she could say anything he interrupted. "We're going to go get the shovels now, aren't we?"  
  
Sara nodded and headed out to the Tahoe, Greg in tow. The home owner was sitting on the lawn, watching them gather their gear. Greg shot her a wow- what-a-freak-show look as he grabbed two shovels and headed to the backyard. After a lot of digging and a little bit of Greg-ogling, Sara uncovered a white sheet which was wrapped around every item the actress had listed missing.  
  
After giving the woman a warning about needlessly calling authorities, which was little more than a slap on the wrist, Greg and Sara were on their way home, happy about getting off early, but a little miffed about the waste of time.  
  
"So now what?" Greg asked as they pulled into the lab parking lot.  
  
"Want to go get breakfast?" Sara blurted before she could stop herself.  
  
Greg just looked at her as if he couldn't believe that she was talking to him. Sara thought he might look over his shoulder to see if there was someone else she could possibly be asking to breakfast. "Sure," he started to smile, "We might want to change first though."  
  
Looking down at her dirt covered clothes, Sara wondered how she had spent so much time staring at Greg without realizing that he was filthy from digging. For the first time in a while, Sara found herself wondering if her extra set of clothes would be flattering. She couldn't remember what she had left in her locker.  
  
In the locker room, the pair was changing with their backs to one another. Sara was in the midst of buttoning her blouse as Greg removed his muddy t- shirt. She watched the muscles in his back move and flex and yes, even ripple. She noticed how his slim waist disappeared into his low-cut jeans, and how his arms were more tanned than the rest of his torso. When Greg turned around, fully clothed, Sara refocused on buttoning her blouse, only then realizing that she'd done it crookedly. Blushing furiously, she looked up to see Greg smirking down on her.  
  
"Need some help with that?" He joked, reaching out to fix her buttons. He was at a loss as to what to do when Sara didn't bat them away.  
  
"Seems that way," she replied, looking down at the shirt, her face getting redder at the realization that she had actually said that out loud.  
  
Greg froze and looked at Sara, who was clumsily fumbling with the buttons on her shirt, looking embarrassed and helpless. He gently grasped her hands in his own and pulled them away from her shirt. He then slowly started to fix the buttons, never undoing more than two at a time.  
  
Sara wanted to faint. She wanted to run as fast as she could away from him. She wanted to let herself lean in a little closer...  
  
Suddenly, Greg was finished helping her button up and was in the middle of tying his shoe. Sara tried her best to regain her composure, needlessly brushing her hands across the front of her correctly buttoned blouse.  
  
Greg straightened up and casually stuck his hands in his jeans pocket, causing them to lower slightly and a strip of skin to peek out. "So," he started, "Breakfast?"

* * *

_And there I leave you wanting more! More to come! R&R!_


	6. Slip

_This chapter was just begging to be written. Generally I wait until the middle of the night to post, but I just couldn't wait to get it out in writing. Please R&R, I really do love knowing that people like the chapters as much as I love writing them. Ok, I'll shut up, read on. Oh, and since I forgot to do this in all previous chapters: I disclaim._

_

* * *

_ Sara leaned against her locker, willing it to help to cool her off. At Greg's question she had simply nodded, not taking her eyes off of his. He paused, not sure what to do with the suddenly intense look she was sending him. He stood there for a long moment, just looking at her, waiting for her to say something. When she said nothing, he took a breath, ready to interject with something clever and witty to break the tension.  
  
Slowly, Sara reached her hand out towards him; Greg didn't move. She slid three fingers between the waist of his pants and the warm skin of his stomach and pulled him to her, arching her back slightly to meet him halfway.  
  
His hands, almost in slow motion, found her waist and the locker behind her to steady them both. His eyes held an unanswered question as they held her own captive.  
  
Sara relished in the sensation being so close to him provided. She snaked her free hand around him and spread her fingers along his lower back. The other she let wander up his chest, the smoothness of his shirt and the solidness of what lay beneath gliding under her fingers. She let it come to rest just below his collarbone, gently pulling him down to her by the fabric of his shirt.  
  
When, at long last their lips made contact, it was sensual, gentle and sweet. Sara found herself amazed at the tenderness with which Greg touched her. Never making assumptions, Greg let the kiss remain chaste until Sara's mouth began to open slightly, almost beckoning him to go further. She let her tongue sneak out for the briefest of instants out of sheer yearning to taste him.  
  
Another word or 'yearn' is 'lust'.  
  
He let himself press her closer to the locker and to himself as he gently bit her lower lip, sending a wave of chills up and down her spine.  
  
There was no force on earth that could have stopped Sara's heart from exploding.  
  
A powerful flow of emotions surged throughout her. The intensity of it all scared her. Slowly, she pulled back from him, the hand on his chest used to prevent her from letting herself lean forward again and give in. Her eyes did not meet him, but instead stared at her hand, which lay directly before her, still touching him.  
  
"I'm sorry," She said, her voice smooth due to years of concealing emotions. "I can't do this."  
  
Greg looked at her in disbelief. He took his hand from her waist and covered hers that lay on his chest. "Sara," he began, unsure of what to say.  
  
Sara's voice remained silky as she continued to stare at their entwined hands. "No, I'm sorry. I can't, not with you. I just..." she looked up finally, into his eyes that still held that unanswered question. Her voice broke, betraying her emotions, "can't."  
  
She slid from his arms and through the locker room door, back into the lab.  
  
Greg sat down on one of the benches that were bolted between the rows of lockers and heaved a sad laugh of disbelief, running a hand through his hair. He slowly let out a long held breath and wondered what the hell had just happened.

* * *

_There you go! You asked for it, I delivered! Now the real question is, did that relive some of the sexual tension, or add more? We'll just have to see, won't we? R&R please! _


	7. Want

_Chapter 7. Adding plot makes it harder to keep up the steamyness. And yet, I do my best to deliver. Ok, so I initially didn't like this chapter, but then I re-read it and I think it's exactly what we need. A little bit of an agonizing slow-down. On with the show!_

_

* * *

_   
  
Sara stood outside the DNA lab a few days later, evidence in hand and nerves shot all to hell. She had avoided Greg more than ever before, refusing to even walk by his lab, until now. No one else was around, and she really needed the skin sample she held in her shaking hand processed and compared. She watched Greg putter around his lab, bobbing his head to the silence and the song in his head.  
  
"You've been standing there for five minutes." He finally said, bending over a blood sample from another case, "if you don't want to be near me, you can just leave the sample by the door, take ten paces back, I'll pick it up and smoke-signal you the results." The usual lightness his voice held was still present, but something was different.  
  
Sara walked in and placed her sample on a nearby counter. Greg's back was still facing her, and she simply stood there, unsure as to what to do next. She knew what she should do; she should have apologized to him, told him everything was a huge mistake, turned around and walked out. Instead, she just stood there, staring at his back.  
  
"You know, I'm not going to disappear if you stare at me long enough." Greg said.  
  
"I didn't want to...before... I..." Sara trailed off, not knowing what to say or how to say it.  
  
"Yeah, I know." He replied, taking a pause as if considering whether or not to say what he was thinking. "And I'd be willing to forget about it if you'd just stop acting so weird."  
  
Somehow, this simple phrase made Sara's heart sink to the bottom of her stomach. The last thing she wanted to do was forget about it. She had been replaying the feeling of him pressed against her, his lips on hers, for days.  
  
She leaned against the counter behind her and heaved a sigh. "I'm... not sure I..." she stopped herself, unable to fathom that she was about to confess something so personal to Greg of all people. But she had been more personal with him only a few days ago, and that had been so easy; she couldn't have stopped herself if she'd wanted to. Being intimate in a completely different way with him seemed like an exceedingly daunting task. Taking another deep breath, she continued, "I don't want you to forget about it."  
  
This was not nearly as easy as pulling the man into a kiss by the waist of his pants.  
  
Greg turned to face her. "Uh, then what do you want me to do?" he asked, not pushing her, but simply searching for an answer.  
  
"That, I don't know." Sara replied slowly; everything seemed so agonizingly slow when she was with him. The only thing that wasn't was the beating of her heart and the easy blush that lived on her face when he was near. Saying she didn't know was a lie. She knew exactly what she wanted him to do. She wanted him to grab her, take her in his arms and give a repeat performance of the locker room incident; maybe up the rating to a firm PG 13.  
  
Ignorant of Sara's current inner turmoil, Greg smiled, rolling his eyes a little. He walked over to where she was still leaning on the counter, and placing his hands on the smooth surface on either side of her, stood in front of her, his arms stretched to their full length, the warmth of his body radiating onto hers. Looking her in the eye, the smile never leaving his lips, he said "Ok," nothing more. He then leaned in, letting his lips barely touch hers, like butterfly wings, like air. He lingered there for a moment, letting his eyes focus on her reddening cheek.  
  
Sara breathed in sharply at the anticipation of what was to come. Greg surrounded her, and all she could do was wait for him to put the slightest amount of pressure on her lips. She thought she'd never breathe again. She closed her eyes and willed her heart to calm it's frantic pace. Memories of Greg's hands, body and scent enfolding her flooded through her mind as she waited for him to kiss her. Instead, he backed up slowly, turned around and went back to his original task, leaving Sara motionless where she stood. "I'll page you when I'm done with your sample."  
  
Sara was frozen to the spot. Even after the kiss in the locker room days ago, even after every infuriating little touch, nothing she had experienced had been as intense as the moment before Greg had pulled away from her. She'd never felt more exposed and alone as she did the moment after.  
  
Taking what seemed like the millionth deep breath of the day, Sara finally composed herself as much as possible and slipped out of the room, wondering how many more chances she'd get to tell Greg what she really wanted.

* * *

_So what did you think? R&R and tell me your thoughts!_


	8. Run

_Here is chapter... 8 is it now? I think so. Anyway, to whomever it was who asked me how many chapters this story will be, I have no idea! I just write, post, write, post. I'm banking on at least a few more, seeing that writing this is a great way to spend extra time. That, and reading the reviews. Anyway, I'll be quiet. On with the show!_

_

* * *

_  
Sara didn't know what to do. Up until yesterday she had been very adept at avoiding Greg, taking every precaution so as not to run into him. Today she seemed to be developing a coincidental-stalker predicament, running into him three times in the past few hours. It had been a slow day for the lab, only Nick and Catherine were out on assignments, the rest of them were stuck doing paperwork, which translated loosely into slacking off.  
  
Sara sat at a table in one of the conference rooms, papers spread all around her, a magazine in the centre of it all. She was reading something about 20 Sexual Secrets to Drive Him Wild and guiltily imagining Greg in some of the suggested situations.  
  
Warrick came in and peered over her shoulder, reading along with her for a few moments before joking, "Sexual secrets, huh? You got a mystery man you're looking to drive wild?"  
  
"No," Sara replied a little too quickly, causing Warrick to raise an eyebrow disbelievingly. She continued, attempting to cover up her blunder, "Just brushing up, you know, in case the occasion arises that I need to know this information." She shot him a smirk over her shoulder and turned back to her reading. Warrick sat beside her, opening up a novel and putting his feet up. Soon after, Greg walked into the room, a small electronic device in his hands.  
  
"Hey, what're you reading?" He asked them both as he sat across from Sara. Warrick turned his book to show him the title; some mystery novel by some obscure author.  
  
"Dude, your life is a mystery novel. I would have thought you'd read the sports section or something. Maybe one of the classics," Off Warrick's look he continued, "Though I don't see you as a Moby Dick kind of guy."  
  
"You think my reading material is surprising? Tell Greggo what you're reading over there, Sara." Warrick said, shooting her a look.  
  
There was a pause as Sara weighed her options. She could just get up and leave the room. She could lie. She could do any number of things akin to those that really wouldn't work. She looked up at Greg, who was looking at her, curious as to what exactly was so shocking about what she was reading.  
  
She sighed and turned the magazine around so he could see the title, shooting him a deliberate grin across the table. Greg's eyebrows rose in surprise, and for the life of him he couldn't come up with a witty remark with which to comment.  
  
Warrick's eyes shifted from one coworker to the next, not quite taking in the subtle communication between the two. Greg shifted in his seat and focused on his video game, while Sara closed her magazine and stretched. Greg kept his eyes glued to the screen of his game, knowing full well that Warrick would catch him if he even glanced at the small section of her stomach that showed when her arms were stretched up over her head.  
  
"Well," She said, standing up and heading for the door, "Shift is almost over. I'm going to go change into some more comfortable clothes." Warrick looked at her. "You know, if anyone asks."  
  
And with that, she was out the door, heading in the direction of the locker room. Greg kept his eyes on his game for about three full seconds before getting up and following after her. He caught up with her in the hall and they fell into step, heading toward the locker room.  
  
"Sara, you are messing with my head." He said as they walked past several glass-walled offices. She simply shot him a flirtatious look and walked into the locker room. Taking a quick look over his shoulder, Greg followed.  
  
Sara couldn't believe what she was doing. If someone had asked her if she thought she'd ever be considering romantic trysts in the locker room of the CSI lab with a younger coworker, she'd have laughed in their face. But here she was, ready to throw Greg against a wall if need be. She leaned up against a locker, memories of the last time she'd been there with Greg filling her mind.  
  
He came in soon after, and Sara's breath caught in her throat.  
  
"Sara, what is going o-," Greg started, but was cut off by Sara grabbing him by the lapels and pulling him to her. There was no subtlety this time, no slow, agonizing lead-in. Simple raw passion oozed from Sara's every pore. Greg's hands, as if upon their own power, glided to her lower back, resting there for a long moment. Sara's hands soon left his lapels, moving downward to rest on his hips. She looked up into his eyes as he removed a hand from her back in favour of her cheek. She raised herself onto her tip- toes and kissed him, long and tender and passionate. He reciprocated eagerly as she bent her right knee, running it up the side of his thigh. He momentarily let the world fall away around them, losing himself in her completely. Pulling his body closer to her, Sara found herself thinking that he could never be close enough; that all these layers of clothing were very much impeding her desire to be as near to him as possible. As her hands reached to start unbuttoning his shirt, reminiscent of him helping her button her blouse so many days ago, she thought she heard the distinct sound of a door opening. She ceased all movement, placing a finger over Greg's lips.  
  
"Stop," she said, listening intently for the slightest sound of movement. None came. "We can't do this."  
  
Greg looked at her in disbelief. "You started it!" he said, clearly flustered.  
  
"I know, and I'm sorry. We just... can't. I thought someone had come in and caught us and... that can't happen." She replied, taking several steps away from him.  
  
"Well, maybe if it stopped happening in a public locker room..." Greg said, trying to coerce Sara into being more at ease.  
  
"No Greg." Sara said, looking him straight in those painfully deep and soulful eyes of his, "there could be so many repercussions. This whole idea was a mistake. I'm sorry."  
  
Greg stared after her as Sara left the room. She walked out of the lab and into the dim light of the early morning, the light making her suddenly very aware that she had just broken her own heart.

* * *

_You know what, as much as I love this chapter, I hate me right now. Just leaving it hanging like that... and poor Greg, I hate to jerk him around so much... but a gals gotta do what a gals gotta do. R&R and tell me what you think! _


	9. Chance

_Chapter nine! Wow you guys get snippy if I'm not prompt don't you? Well, keep it up! It keeps me writing!_

* * *

Greg wandered back into the room where he had just left Warrick. Nick was now there, flipping through Sara's magazine. Greg sat down, a defeated smile playing across his features, and picked up his abandoned video game.  
  
"Hey man, what's up?" Nick asked offhandedly.  
  
Greg looked up at him, and then at Warrick. "Women are nuts." He stated.  
  
Nick laughed, "You got that right buddy."  
  
"You're just realizing this now?" Warrick chimed in.  
  
"Naw," Greg replied, "just stating a well known fact."  
  
Nick leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his stomach. "You know it. I'm seeing this girl right now, and man its exasperating! It's not even like we've gotten to the good stuff, she'll just, you know, tease me for a bit, and then back off. It's annoying as hell, but she's got me hooked."  
  
Greg laughed. "I feel your pain, my friend. But the question is, what the crap can we do about it?"  
  
"Not much, man." Warrick said, "I was in a situation like that once, and decided I'd had enough and told her just that."  
  
"What happened?" asked Greg, intrigued.  
  
"Nothing. At all. Let's just say, as aggravating as it was, I liked it the other way better."  
  
Greg frowned. "So, lose-lose situation, huh?" Warrick nodded. "Crap."  
  
"I think I prefer this to nothing at all," Nick offered, "At least I'm getting some semblance of action."  
  
"There is that," Greg stood up to leave, "But if it's not leading anywhere, what's the point, right?"  
  
"Hey, where're you going?" Warrick asked.  
  
"To take my chances." Said Greg's retreating back.  
  
He caught up with Sara, who was struggling to change the tire of her Tahoe in the parking lot. Taking the jack out of her hands and placing it under the vehicle, he said "Sara, we've got to talk about this."  
  
Sara, stunned that Greg was taking a stand, just stared at him; or, more specifically, stared at his arms as he jacked up her car.  
  
"I mean, you can't keep doing... what you've been doing the past few days. It's getting to be really... too much." He wasn't looking at her, but instead was focused on fixing her tire.  
  
Sara knelt down next to him and watched his profile, fixed in an expression of concentration. Sighing, she leaned against the door of the car and stretched her legs out in front of her. "You're telling me."  
  
Greg looked at her for an instant before removing the offending tire and getting up to fetch the new one. Bending back down to put it in place, he said "So, what do you want from me, Sara?"  
  
The phrase 'dirty, passionate, monkey sex' raced across her mind; upon being pushed aside was replaced with 'companionship' followed by 'meaningful relationship'. The last one wasn't something she had expected. A meaningful relationship with Greg? No... it would never work.  
  
"I want..." she started, "Something that probably isn't possible, not for us."  
  
Greg finished with the tire and sat down nest to her. "What?" he asked gently, using all of his willpower not to prod her.  
  
"Greg, we work together. Anything we do we do at the risk of being caught."  
  
Greg gave a halfhearted, lopsided grin. "Especially if we keep doing it in the locker room."  
  
"Even if we don't, Greg, we work with highly trained investigators. People will know, no matter how hard we try to hide it."  
  
"I see," he nodded to show he understood. "But why can't people know? Why hide it?"  
  
Sara held her breath, as if not breathing would make time stop. Letting it out slowly, she started to explain. "In the past few months I have done a lot of very unprofessional things. I don't want to add 'fraternizing' to the list."  
  
Greg sighed. "If that's the way you want it," he said, moving to stand, "then I guess that's fine." He was lying through his teeth. Instead of standing, he moved himself in front of her, taking her hands in his. Leaning in, he placed a simple kiss on her lips. He stood up and pulled her up by their still entwined hands, and looked at her, wearing down her resolve with his dark brown eyes.  
  
Sara inhaled deeply and looked at him, wishing she hadn't already made up her mind. "I'm sorry Greg."  
  
"Well," Greg said, leaning against her, "You just tell me if you change your mind." He then leaned in again, for what they both wished wasn't the last time, and kissed her softly. She pulled him closer to her and opened her mouth, letting all of the frustration and tension she held fuel the increasingly passionate kiss.  
  
They reluctantly pulled apart and Sara held his gaze as she explained, "One for the road."  
  
Greg smiled down at her and she got into the Tahoe. "Thanks, Greg; for the tire and... everything."  
  
Greg simply nodded and waved to her as she drove off.

* * *

_Dun dun dunnnnnn... Don't worry folks, this is not the end. Stay tuned for the next chapter, which will most likely be very enjoyable... R&R please! _


	10. Change

_Ok, this chapter is really short, and I apologize in advance. I'm just as exhausted as a girl can be, but wanted to get something posted before I collapsed into the waiting arms of sweet, sweet unconsciousness. Enjoy!_

* * *

The following three days were the longest of Sara's life. Things had slowed down entirely and her relationship with Greg had gone back to a similar version of what it once was. She'd give him evidence to process, he'd throw a joke her way, and she'd pretend to get annoyed.  
  
It sucked.  
  
Sara couldn't help wishing that she could somehow be with Greg; that they could kiss and be together and date and do all the stupid gooey lovey things she swore she'd never do.  
  
She would find herself standing in the DNA lab, waiting for him to finish her samples instead of running off to do extra paperwork. She had nearly gotten excited when he had been assigned to another case with her. She was ready to explode because, though she hated to admit it, she missed him. Even though they saw one another every day, she found herself missing his touch, his smell. Sitting in the break room by herself, Sara rolled her eyes. She was like a smitten school girl. They had kissed, once. Ok, so four times. Four short albeit amazing kisses does not a relationship make. And she'd pretty much dug her own grave and jumped in when it came to having anything akin to a 'relationship' with Greg. Wishing she had never known what it was like to kiss him or touch him or be close to him in the first place, she noticed Greg walk by the room.  
  
She got up to follow him on impulse, not really knowing why. He just drew her to him, as much as she tried to hold back. She watched him wander around, obviously looking for something. His brows were furrowed and he didn't ever stop in one place for more than a few seconds. Sara followed him, now curious as to what or who he was looking for. Greg suddenly spun around, startling her.  
  
"Oh! Jesus Sara!" He said, "You scared the wits out of me!"  
  
Sara smirked, "Sorry bout that."  
  
"Have you seen Grissom?" He asked, looking over her shoulder. "I really need to talk to him about doing some more field work."  
  
"I don't think he's in yet. Hey, after shift, can we talk?"  
  
Greg, still distracted, replied "Yeah, sure, whatever." He then looked her in the eye as if suddenly realizing what she had said, "About what?"  
  
"Nothing," Sara said nonchalantly, "I can't just like talking to you?"  
  
"No," Greg smiled, "But you're Sara Sidle, so I guess you can do anything."  
  
"That's me, resident super heroine."  
  
He reached out and gave her shoulder an excruciatingly friendly squeeze, "After shift then. We'll talk." The two turned and made their way down the hall.  
  
Soon the entire crew was situated in the break room, receiving their assignments. Sara and Nick had been assigned a tough triple-homicide and Grissom had warned them that they might be pulling a double. Sara sighed, any hope of having any sort of conversation with Greg flying out the window. Suddenly getting an idea, Sara grabbed a piece of paper, writing furiously for a few seconds before placing it inside an envelope and writing 'Greg, open after shift' on it. As she and Nick made their way to the exit, she stopped in the DNA lab, glad to see Greg wasn't there and placed the envelope beside a microscope. She then left the building, glad that her mind was at least a little bit clearer.  
  
Later, Greg made his way to the lab to find the envelope waiting for him. A smile crept across his lips as he read the instructions he knew Sara would never expect him to follow. Tearing open the envelope, he read the short note, his grin getting bigger with every word.  
  
It read: 'Greg, I changed my mind. –Sara'

* * *

_Again, I apologize for the brevity of the chapter. Pretty soon I'll not be able to find the time to keep the updates coming so quickly, sadly. But keep those reviews coming! They're more inspiring than anything else! _


	11. Scars

_So I couldn't wait to write this chapter, and yet so many things kept getting in my way. But it's done now. And I'm happy with it, so read on and tell me what you think!_

* * *

Sara sat at home, her feet tucked up under her on a small loveseat in her living room. She was staring at her muted TV, eyes not really focused, when the phone rang. Breaking out of her daze, she shuffled toward the counter where her cell phone sat and flipped it open. The screen read 'Sanders, Greg'. A huge, unintentional smile played across her lips as she answered.  
  
"How long did you wait until you opened my envelope?"  
  
Greg's laugh sounded tinny through Sara's cell phone. "About half a second," he admitted, "I've got a question for you."  
  
"Shoot"  
  
"What are you doing right now?"  
  
Sara smiled and looked over to her vacant loveseat, confessing "Half watching the TV with no sound, half wondering what you would do when you opened my letter."  
  
"One, I did a little happy dance. Two, can I come over?" Greg said, causing Sara to panic, just a little.  
  
She composed herself and gave him the directions. Hanging up she frantically cleaned her apartment as best she could, shoving magazines under the couch and straightening up her kitchen. She then moved into the bedroom, pausing a moment to consider what cleaning her room before Greg came over could mean. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that step, but, thinking back to her previous intimate encounters with him, she decided it would be better to be safe than sorry. She cleaned her room and made her bed in record time. As the doorbell rang, she flipped on her stereo and answered the door.  
  
Greg was standing there, in all his shabby glory. His left hand was shoved deep in the pocket of his low-cut jeans, his right holding a single daisy. A brown T-shirt with a truck stop logo on it clinging to the muscles of his chest and stomach and his face held a hesitant look. His nervous demeanor changed into a smile as he took her in. Saying nothing, his eyes moved from her face and rested on her chest. Sara cocked an eyebrow and looked down to see what he was looking at, realizing that she was wearing her orange tank top with the word 'GEEK' stamped across it in white letters. She laughed out loud and stepped back, motioning for Greg to come in and gratefully taking the flower from his outstretched hand. Upon crossing the threshold, Greg paused a moment, an amused smile crossing his features.  
  
"What?" Sara asked.  
  
"Are you... are you trying to seduce me to Color Me Bad?" Greg asked, laughing.  
  
Sara took a moment to register his comment before realizing that the distinct tune of Color Me Bad's 'I Wanna Sex You Up' was drifting from her stereo. Her face flushed and she looked down, embarrassed. Greg simply laughed and pulled her into a bear hug. She hugged him back, a sigh of contentment at being close to him again leaving her body. They stood like that for a long while, simply reveling in the nearness they shared. Sara looked up at Greg, her eyes boring into his. She noticed that he was still smiling, and, taking his hand and leading him to the loveseat she asked, "What is so funny, Mr. Sanders?"  
  
"Nothing," he replied, his smile widening. "I just didn't know you were such a fan of the 80's, that's all. "  
  
"I'm not," She smirked at him from her seat next to him on the couch. "I flipped on the radio about a second before you rang the bell. I didn't even notice what was playing."  
  
Greg pretended to be hurt, saying "So you don't wanna sex me up?"  
  
Sara smacked him in the arm and smiled. "Well, I wouldn't say that..."  
  
"What made you change your mind?" Greg asked, leaning back on the cushion and tucking a leg up under himself. Sara became very aware of exactly how far away from her he was sitting, and scooted over so that their knees were touching.  
  
She placed a hand on his leg and smiled. "Honestly?" She asked, not waiting for an answer. "I missed you."  
  
Greg smiled and took her hand in his own. His smile widened and Sara grew suspicious. "What?"  
  
"You're such a girl sometimes, you know that?" he teased, giving her hand a little squeeze that inadvertently sent a thrill up Sara's spine, short circuiting her brain for a second. She leaned in and placed a kiss on his lips, pulling herself onto his lap.  
  
Greg pulled away for a moment, inhaling deeply before asking "but what about the people at work? What about fraternizing and all that?"  
  
Sara looked at him and smiled. "We'll figure that out later, deal?"  
  
"Deal," he replied happily, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. Sara found herself letting go of her inhibitions as Greg kissed her. She accidentally let out a small moan which only proved to deepen the passion between them. Sara found herself reaching to pull Greg's shirt over his head and as she did so, he stopped kissing her, raising his arms over his head to help her out. Pausing before resuming their intense lip-lock, Greg said, "Sara?"  
  
Panting slightly, she looked at his eyes which were suddenly filled with worry. "Yeah?"  
  
"You're not... you're not going to get freaked by the scars, are you?" He asked tentatively.  
  
Not understanding, Sara just stared at him for a moment. "What scars?" She asked, thoroughly confused.  
  
Greg looked down her hand as it took his.  
  
Suddenly Sara remembered; the explosion. 'Partial to full thickness burns on his neck and back.' She hadn't really thought about it much since he'd come back to work with a few bandages a week or so after it had happened. For some reason she hadn't thought that there would be permanent damage, her cuts had healed fine. She just assumed that everyone would be ok. He was still looking at their hands. "Of course not, Greg," she said tipping his chin upwards with her free hand. She wrapped her arms around him and ran her hands down his back, feeling the spider web-like marks with her fingers.  
  
He sighed and smiled, kissing the curve of her neck. He let his fingers find the buttons of the front of her shirt and started undoing them, one by one. Her lips again found his as he lay her down on the couch and arranged himself above her.  
  
Suddenly, Sara's beeper went off. All movement ceased. Sara sighed in frustration and looked up at Greg, who was smiling ironically. "Well shit," she said, placing a hand on his bare chest.  
  
Greg rolled off of her and let her go answer her page. As she was dialing, his pager started singing Hawaii Five-O. Sara smiled at him and raised her index finger in a sign of 'give me a second'.  
  
When she got off the phone with Grissom, she handed it to Greg, who dialed the office. Grissom was on the other end, sounding gruff and unhappy. "Three way car accident, multiple DB's, right along I-15. Get out here as fast as possible." Before Greg could even utter a word, the line went dead. He rolled his eyes and looked at Sara, who had been pulling a new, less wrinkled shirt on.  
  
He smiled ruefully and grabbed his own shirt, realizing that he too would have to change into the one that he kept in his car. "So are we riding together or separately?" He asked.  
  
Sara considered this a moment. Deciding she would rather spend time with Greg, and that she was worried that any one of her tires might be the next to blow, she said, "Together. Let's go."  
  
With that the pair left the comfort of Sara's apartment into the warm air of early-morning Vegas, both wishing they had ignored those damn pagers; both very frustrated.  
  
Greg reached over to squeeze Sara's arm as he drove. "Hey," he said, giving her an apologetic smile, "rain check?"

* * *

_You know, I was all prepared to let them go at it in peace, but for some reason those damn pagers had to go off. R&R please! Next chapter will hopefully be up soon!_


	12. Drive

_Woo! Another chapter! I really like this one! R&R and tell me if you do, too!_

_

* * *

_  
As Greg drove, Sara watched him. She wondered if her staring was bordering on creepy, but decided she didn't care.  
  
Greg glanced over, caught her staring and smiled. "So, what do you think our coworkers are going to think when we arrive at the scene together?" He said, reaching over to brush a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "And looking rather disheveled at that?"  
  
Sara took a moment to consider this. "No one will ask us straight out, though, will they?" she queried, flipping the mirror down and fixing her hair.  
  
"Want to bet on that?" Greg replied, chuckling.  
  
"Well, we'll just tell them as little information as possible." Sara said.  
  
Greg smiled and took her hand in his. "Here's hoping no one notices then."  
  
The rest of the drive was silent. Sara loved being this relaxed and casual with Greg. Before she'd even started noticing him as anything more than the DNA guy, she had always kind of wanted to be his friend. But this, this was so much better. Seeing him relaxed, smiling and holding her hand was a nice change from seeing him tense, still smiling, but keeping her at arms length.  
  
As they pulled into the scene, he gave her a look that said 'there are so many things I'd rather be doing right now' and hopped out of the car. She smiled and followed suit, rounding the vehicle to get her kit from the trunk. Greg handed it to her as he reached in to get his own. She winked her thanks and they walked to meet Grissom, who was surveying the damage. They stood on either side of him and looked out over the destruction.  
  
"Where's everyone else?" Sara asked, causing Grissom to start. He looked at her and then over at Greg.  
  
Taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes he replied, "Not here yet, they're on their way. You two are the first to arrive."  
  
Greg and Sara shared a furtive look behind Grissom's back. They were soon joined by Warrick, Catherine and Nick, and they started to process the scene. After hours of work, Nick finally discovered the cause of the collision. The driver of a transport truck had been drinking heavily before setting out for his long drive. His 'one for the road' had apparently turned into '10 for the road'. Waiting for the coroners to arrive to start bringing the bodies back, the six CSI's sat around, talking and mingling and trying to get their minds off the grisly scene in front of them. Sara and Greg had positioned themselves near one of the vehicles, and were speaking animatedly.  
  
"So anyway, I'm trying to be all cool and hot-shot, right. So I'm up on my board and the wave is huge. I don't even know what I'm going to do, so I just decided to go for it, and two seconds into the wave I'm belly-flopping and my shorts are nowhere to be found. Needless to say I was a little red faced after that, not to mention that I had to buy everyone on the beach a beer. Not one of my finest moments."  
  
Sara laughed at Greg's embarrassing anecdote. She loved how easily conversation with him came. "Wish I'd been there."  
  
Greg smiled, "Want to see me search the ocean for my suit, huh?" He teased.  
  
"Well, that," Sara replied, "And I could have gone for a free beer."  
  
Greg laughed and suppressed the urge to kiss her.  
  
A little ways away, Grissom was watching the exchange. Despite his improved hearing, he had no idea what Greg was saying to make Sara laugh so hard. Catherine strode up beside him. "What are you looking at?" she asked, casting her eyes in the same direction as Grissom's. She saw Sara smiling and Greg making wild gesticulations with his hands; she turned her eyes to Grissom, who didn't seem pleased.  
  
She watched him for a moment, and he suddenly flinched, ever so slightly, but she could see it. She looked back in the direction of her two co workers to see Greg pulling his hand from Sara's face, obviously having just plucked an eyelash from her cheek, as she was now blowing on his offered finger. Catherine looked back at Grissom, who was frowning. "They're just friends, Griss." She said, attempting to be reassuring and maybe a little bit cocky at the same time.  
  
Grissom broke out of his daze and turned his gaze on Catherine. "Wha- who?" he said; he had clearly been in another world.  
  
"Greg and Sara; just friends. Chill out."  
  
Grissom looked at her blankly, but she could see he was hiding his faint relief. Catherine rolled her eyes and walked off.  
  
Soon Sara and Greg's conversation was cut short by Nick running up to them. "Hey guys," he said, giving a little wave. "We're going out for breakfast once the coroners arrive, you in?"  
  
Sara glanced at Greg, who shrugged and said, "Sure, why not?"  
  
Nick smiled as the coroner's vans arrived. "Well, let's get going then!" he said, waving to the rest of the CSI's and heading to his Tahoe. Sara and Greg slipped into his vehicle and the group headed off to a diner a few miles away. Before he could start the car to follow the rest, Sara put her hand on Greg's knee.  
  
"Wait a minute," she insisted as the other cars made their way out into the morning. As the last car, Catherine's, drove away from the scene, Sara leaned over and pulled Greg into a wonderfully awkward kiss that landed half on his mouth, half on his cheek. Greg reciprocated by turning to face her and returning her kiss in a much less awkward manner. Sara leaned in closer to him and wrapped her hands around his shoulder. Greg deepened the kiss slightly, but pulled away.  
  
"What?" Sara said, slightly put out by the sudden cease of passion.  
  
"First, we're making out at a crime scene, which is a little beyond tacky." Greg pointed out, a smile starting to show on the left side of his mouth. "And second, if we keep this up we're going to be late for breakfast and raise suspicion."  
  
Sara sat back in her seat with a huff and sighed in mock indignation. "Fine then," she said, trying to cover up the grin that was quickly spreading across her face. Greg let out a laugh and leaned over to give her a small kiss just below her ear. "But if you keep doing that," she continued, "we're going to be very, very late."  
  
Greg laughed again and started the car. Sara felt that all-too-familiar blush creep to her cheeks as she reached up and surreptitiously touched the spot right below her ear.

* * *

_And another chapter down! To whomever I said "it'll only be a few more chapters", I may have lied... I just can't seem to stop! I'm not sure if I want to write the whole 'over breakfast' conversation... but it might be fun. We'll see. What do you think? R&R! _


	13. Hide

_Diner scene! And... ACTION!_

* * *

Sara and Greg arrived at the diner shortly after everyone else, and ended up sitting across from each other, which was what they had hoped would happen. Sitting in too close a proximity could prove to be lethal to their secret. They ordered and were glad to see that everything was normal. No one seemed to know about their recent shenanigans, and they hoped to keep it that way. Sara looked around the table as she speared a piece of pancake from her plate. Warrick and Nick were animatedly discussing some football game or another through mouthfuls of food.   
  
Greg had challenged Catherine to a game of rock paper scissors, in which whoever lost wasn't allowed to take another bite of food until they won a match. This resulted in Catherine having quite the losing streak, and when she finally got the upper hand, shoving a huge forkful of waffles and whipped cream in her mouth.   
  
Grissom was sitting silently, surveying the goings on around him with an unimpressed look on his face. Sara rolled her eyes at his petulance and switched her gaze to Greg, who was laughing at Catherine's inability to chew her huge mouthful. A smile crept across Sara's face as Greg grabbed a napkin and attempted to wipe some of the whipped cream that was dripping down Catherine's chin; he really only succeeded in spreading it around.  
  
Shrugging off Grissom's ever-present gaze, Sara let her foot snake out in front of her, seeking Greg's leg. She knew she'd made contact with the correct party when his hand abruptly stopped wiping Catherine's increasingly messy face and his eyes focused on Sara. She shot him a small wink, regardless of whether Grissom was looking, and started slowly drawing her foot up and down his calf.   
  
Watching Greg try to remain nonchalant whilst she was pleasantly torturing him proved to be the most entertaining thing Sara had seen in a while. She herself had succeeded in carrying on a conversation with Nick while keeping her foot in a constant flow of movement. Greg was not faring as well. He was trying to explain to Catherine why he kept beating her at rock paper scissors by claiming he could read minds, but every time Sara's foot got anywhere close to past his knee, he would stumble over his words.  
  
Finally giving up, Greg focused on mowing down the rest of his food, desperate to get out of an increasingly awkward situation. Wiping his mouth daintily, he smiled at the group and rose to leave.  
  
"Well, gang, as much as I do love you all, I'm heading out. I've got places to be."   
  
Nick looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Hot date Greggo?"  
  
Greg smiled a little and glanced briefly at Sara, replying "I'm not sure yet. I'll keep you posted."  
  
Sara took this as her cue to step up. "Hey, can you give me a lift home?" she asked, attempting to sound as casual and non-horny as possible.  
  
He smiled the smile of a platonic friend, for which Sara was grateful, and said "Sure, no problem."  
  
"Where's your car, Sar?" Warrick asked, taking a sip of his coffee. Both Greg and Sara froze.   
  
"It's at home." She said, picking up her jacket and heading for the door.  
  
"How'd you get here?" Nick prodded.   
  
Sara pretended not to hear him and left the diner. Nick turned to look at Greg, who replied, "I picked her up. I'll see you next shift, buddy," and headed for the door.   
  
Once safely in the car, Sara sighed deeply. "That was smooth."  
  
"Oh, come on," Greg tried to reassure her, "It wasn't that bad... they don't suspect anything."  
  
Sara wasn't so sure. Their coworkers were all brilliant investigators; and with the little scene that had just played out in the diner, she was sure they'd think something was up. Greg reached over and laced his fingers with hers, giving them a little squeeze and suddenly, Sara didn't have a care in her head.  
  
"So," she said as Greg started the engine, "Your place or mine?"  
  
Greg gave a little laugh. "Yours, seeing as that's where my shirt is."  
  
"Home is where you leave your shirt then?" Sara teased.  
  
"Home, my dear, is wherever you are." Greg said earnestly, letting go of her hand and looking intently at the road in front of him. Sara just grinned broadly and looked out her window at the passing landscape.   
  
Soon they were back at Sara's. Greg ran around to her side of the car and opened the door for her. She thanked him with a lingering kiss that promised more and they walked toward the front of her house. While Sara reached for her keys, Greg slipped between her and her front door, softly placing a hand on her cheek and drawing her face to his. She leaned into him, still fiddling with her keys, her spare hand twisting around his torso to his back. As she opened the door, the pair made their clumsy way over the threshold and into the house.

* * *

_Ok, so here's the thing. I know I'm an awful person, and I promise I will try my best to get the next, not-so-PG chapter up within the next four days, BUT... I've gotten really busy (and I'm not just making excuses; if I could I'd just spend all my time writing this fic) so it might be a while between chapters. Keep reviewing and don't give up on me if I go a few days without updating. I'll attempt to write some chapters from my parents' house if I can escape the madness for a bit. Please R&R! The more reviews, the more I'm tempted to drop other priorities and write! _


End file.
